Conservation Matters March 2016

The Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources are partnering with the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to highlight the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas during the annual Soil and Water Stewardship Week, April 24-May 1.

National expert on groundwater and sustainable water management Dr. Michael Campana championed the importance of integrated water resources management (IWRM) to the nation’s water supply, stressing that successful IWRM is “a process, not a prescription” during his keynote lecture at the March 29 Water Daze event at Texas A&M University.

Water challenges and agricultural sustainability in the Ogallala Aquifer region are the focus of a four-year, $10 million grant that will include scientists from the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

To help bring more than 14,300 acres of the state’s high-value working farm and ranch lands under long-term protection, the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Council has approved land trust funding totaling $1.4 million for a wide array of conservation easements, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI)’s Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program is hosting three free workshops in April and May for Texas residents interested in land and water stewardship.

The public comment period for the Draft 2017 State Water Plan for Texas is now open. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) will receive public comments on the draft plan until 5:00 pm on Monday, April 25, 2016.

TWRI and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute are working together to foster and communicate research and educational outreach programs focused on water and natural resources science and management issues in Texas and beyond.